No win for N. Korea, says US on languid response to rocket launch

Published: Tuesday, April 7, 2009, 10:46 [IST]

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Washington, Apr.7 (ANI): The US State Department has said that the failure of the U.N. Security Council or other international organizations to respond to a weekend rocket launch by North Korea does not signal a "win" for that rogue nation.

According to a Fox News report, State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the international community is working closely on a coordinated response, and the severity of the violation only puts North Korea farther out on a limb by itself.

"This kind of action only further isolates the North and, the fact that the Security Council is taking a shoe up, demonstrates how important it is that we deal with this matter and the need for it to be dealt with and so I would reject any characterization that the North -- that this is some kind of a win for the North -- it's not," he said.

Diplomats from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- the U.S., Great Britain, France, Russia and China -- plus Japan met Monday afternoon to discuss future steps.

No agreement was reached on a response to the missile launch, and the six ambassadors agreed to consult their capitals and meet again on Tuesday.

The United States has so far decided to rely on the U.N. Security Council to dole out an appropriate response to North Korea's launching of the rocket, which crossed over Japanese airspace.

A U.S. official traveling with President Obama said the permanent member nations and Japan met privately late Sunday after the Security Council adjourned and is reconvening after diplomats from these nations run their discussion by their governments.

"We are making decent progress," the official said.

GOP lawmakers are urging the Obama administration to offer a stronger reaction or take unilateral action that they say would have much more impact.

The U.S. is open to a new Security Council resolution; a tightening of the sanctions in place under Resolution 1718 -- the current vehicle punishing Pyongyang for 2006 missile tests; language re-highlighting 1718 and North Korea's violation of it; or even a simple statement of condemnation backed by the Security Council. (ANI)